He Ran Toward Gunfire In Afghanistan, Now He Faces Cancer

PUYALLUP, WA - In April 2008 in Afghanistan, Army medic Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer ran through sniper fire and exploding rocket-propelled grenades to help rescue more than a dozen special forces soldiers. A decade later, the Medal of Honor recipient is now battling cancer.

While presenting Shurer with the Medal of Honor during a Monday ceremony, President Donald Trump revealed that he has been battling lung cancer for more than a year. Today, Shurer is a Secret Service agent, working to protect the president as part of an elite counter-assault team.

Shurer grew up in a military family and is a graduate of Rogers High School and Washington State University. He's the second Puyallup Medal of Honor recipient after Victor Kandle, who got the award posthumously after a battle in France in 1944.

On April 6, 2008, in northeast Afghanistan, Shurer ran through gunfire and RPGs during the battle of Shok Valley to help a group of special forces commandos pinned down near the base of a mountain.

Shurer dodged sniper fire and stopped along the way to treat a soldier, Staff Sgt. Ryan Wallen, with a serious neck injury. He was able to provide aid to more than a dozen injured soldiers, and all those injured survived. During the ordeal, a bullet hit Shurer's helmet, and he was shot through the arm.

During the battle, he simultaneously held the enemy at bay and provided medical care for more than five hours during the battle. At one point, he fashioned a nylon sling to lower wounded soldiers down a 60-foot cliff.

Shurer initially got the Silver Star for his bravery, but the award was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

You can watch Trump and Army officials speak about the battle of Shok Valley here (the video begins at the 20-minute mark):

Image courtesy U.S. Army